Manufacture of disc records began in the late 19th century, at first competing with earlier cylinder records. Price, ease of use and storage made the disc record dominant by the 1910s. The standard format of disc records became known to later generations as “78s” after their playback speed in revolutions per minute, although that speed only became standardized in the late 1920s.

In the late 1940s new formats pressed in vinyl, the 45 rpm single and 33 rpm long playing “LP”, were introduced, gradually overtaking the formerly standard “78s” over the next decade. The late 1950s saw the introduction of stereophonic sound on commercial discs.